Fisheye
by Harvest Dragon
Summary: He was a wisp of a person, barely there despite his tangible body, but talent is talent all the same. It's a long way from passionate amateur photography to snapping shots of the elite Miracle Models, but Kuroko's arduous journey in a beautifully deceitful world has only just begun. AU.
1. aperture

Fisheye

He was a wisp of a young man, barely there despite his tangible body, but talent is talent all the same. It's a long way from passionate amateur photography to snapping shots of the elite Miracle Models, but Kuroko's arduous journey in a beautifully deceitful world has only just begun. AU.

* * *

Shot 00

_aperture_

* * *

_Click_.

"Mr. Kagami, a little to the left please."

"Don't be so freaking formal," Kagami snapped, although his voice lacked any real bite. It was akin to a cat biting a finger without killing intent. "Kuroko, let's take a break after this next shot, okay? I'm tired. We've been at this crap for _hours_."

"Fifteen minutes," Kuroko corrected, his voice mild, and Kagami bared his teeth at him in a distinctly feral manner. "That's not a good look for you, Mr. Kagami."

"Shut up. And for the hundredth time, it's_ Kagami _or _Taiga_. Not _Mr. Kagami!_"

With a trace of a smile, Kuroko lowered the camera, and Kagami completely dropped his pose before stretching languidly. He was a lean and sun-kissed young man with an ever-present hungry look to his amber eyes, and his long, twitchy legs always looked ready to sprint a mile and back at any moment. Kagami seemed to exude wildness, like a tiger that would lash out with razor sharp claws at the slightest attempt of restraint, and slender Kuroko was a docile house cat in comparison.

It was interesting observing someone so unlike you.

"What is it?" Kagami grumbled awkwardly when the photographer's dead gaze had been fixed on his physique for several moments. "Is there something on my face or what?"

"No." Kuroko let his eyes drop as the taller man scrutinised his face. "It isn't anything in particular."

Kagami was already quite tall at over six feet, but he entirely dwarfed Kuroko, whose solemnly small stature did not at all help to negate his almost ghostly presence.

"You're always too pensive," Kagami said with a growl, and the photographer gave a shrug of his skinny shoulders.

"Thinking isn't a bad thing, you know."

"That sounds like a roundabout way of insulting me."

Kuroko did not reply, a teasing quirk lifting the corners of his lips, and Kagami stalked out of the vacant asphalt street to sit on the curb. He propped his elbows on his knees as he absently flexed his long fingers, yawning widely as he did so. "Why a street shot?" he asked, watching cotton white wisps lazily float across the pale blue sky. "We coulda green screened at Riko's studio or something if you didn't need me long - "

The photographer didn't bat an eyelid as he adjusted his camera lens and interrupted Kagami's voiced thoughts mid-expression. "Because this is a fitting environment for you."

"Fitting," Kagami repeated flatly as he gave Kuroko the hairy eyeball. "Are you tryin' to say something here?"

"Yes." He was unabashed. "Mr. Kagami fits right in with a street. A street has seen a lot of things, and has watched many people come and go in and away from it. But nevertheless, the street stays fundamentally the same, even with the passing of time and the mingled experiences of triumph and loss, right?"

The redhead gave Kuroko a furtive yet heated glance before averting his eyes, but the two angry red spots on his cheekbones gave away how flustered he was. Kuroko was usually a quiet person with a melancholic air, but when he became talkative he had a way of making Kagami feel like a bashful school boy again. "You're freaking weird."

A snap of the camera jerked Kagami's head up to see Kuroko armed with a vague, almost smile that just ghosted over his lips. He observed the resulting picture with a sort of nonverbal satisfaction before looking up to gaze at Kagami. "So I have been told."

* * *

There was something about wheeling a bike along a silent sidewalk that would make one feel particularly detached from the rest of the world. Kuroko, however, felt far more meditative than detached, his mind a crystal clear pool filled with thought fish. It was almost a storybook setting, with the sun's rays caressing his back as he trudged along under a dying sky, the birds chirping their warbling farewells to the fading light.

Kagami had left him to go to one of his part-time jobs (although he had left the petite photographer on the ditched street with an excess of reluctance) which left Kuroko time to complete his various other tasks for the day. He was, after all, still a money-hungry college student who just happened to have a penchant for photography. A penchant, thankful, that often paid off quite literally.

With abrupt deftness, he mounted his bicycle and took off at a steady pace. He had been on the fringe of the city, but now he traversed back into the more active section of town. He skilfully pedalled around a pair of school boys roughhousing with each other to the point of obliviousness to their immediate surroundings, dipped his head to an older lady diligently watering a few potted flowers, and blinked as a shrieking car blazed past him, its driver honking madly at him before the car disappeared around a corner.

"Odd." Kuroko murmured, but pushed onwards. By the time he pulled in front of a quaint little building dubbed Seirin Snaps, he was panting for breath, and his vision was slightly blurred when he half-staggered in. "Good afternoon ... Riko ..."

"Kuroko?" A lady with a boyish haircut emerged from one of the back rooms with an armful of papers. Her face was quite pretty in an unorthodox way, with sharp, inquisitive eyes and far softer cheekbones. Her bandanna tied snugly around her neck, along with her pristine jeans and pop collar shirt, gave her a discomfiting aura that lay somewhere in between casual and professional. Riko Aida was literally surmised in her clothing alone; she was a mix of strict professionalism and easy casualness. "I'm guessing you have some spoils for your boss?"

"Yes," was his quiet reply, and she set the papers down on a desk in a majestic heap. She held out a hand expectantly, and he forked over his camera. With a critical eye, she thumbed through the pictures before she allowed a smile to grace her lips.

"Your backgrounds are as fitting as ever," Riko said approvingly, "Kagamoron looks right at home." She reached out a deceptively slender hand to heartily clasp Kuroko's shoulder. "This is why I know I can trust you with - "

"Riko!" A spectacled man rushed up to her, his face betraying both excitement and shock as he combed nervous finger through his frazzled hair. She let out a strangled cry of something in-between outrage and girlish surprise before she quickly regained her composure. "Urgent news - "

"Mr. Hyuuga, you are _supposed_ to _knock_ - " her voice rose dangerously with every word, her left eyelid jumping.

"Ma'am," he hastily interrupted, "we've actually gotten word back from the Kaijou Company about your proposition!"

Riko blinked owlishly before stomping around a by-standing Kuroko to roughly grab hold of Hyuuga's ear. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she demanded, yanking his earlobe down before pressing on. "What was the final verdict?"

"Approval. Ouch."

Without a pause in her step, she swivelled around like a mechanical doll, releasing Hyuuga's ear to smile at Kuroko much like a cat would bare its teeth at a mouse. "Kuroko, I have a job for you."

"Job?" Kuroko mainly worked at Seirin Snaps for the pleasure of experiencing photography, but a few extra coins to pocket were _never_ nothing to sniff at. Riko grinned enthusiastically as she noted a spark leap in the young man's eyes; her vigour was practically a positive pathogen.

"Yes. I've arranged for you to be able to get up close with the Kaijou models for an entire hour. You will be taking pictures of them through this brief shoot, and make sure you pay attention to any slips of info they might be blabbing about."

"Riko - "

"You know how I love unorthodox info almost as much as photos, right Kuroko?" she cooed, and he couldn't help suppressing a small shiver at her eerily cheery inquiry. "I'll be counting on you."

"Riko," Hyuuga finally cut in, "they want him over by ten sharp tomorrow morning." He gave Kuroko a grimace. "You're not going to be the only non-Kaijou photographer there, so you'll need to put forth your best effort to get stellary stunning shots."

"Competition, hm? That makes _me_ excited! To imagine, getting close snapshots of the famed Kise Ryōta for _this_ magazine...!" Her face was dreamy as she sighed contentedly, "our reader base would _skyrocket_!"

She abruptly became serious once more and fixed Kuroko with an intense stare. "That's why _you've_ got to do your best during this opportunity! You've got to stand out with your phenomenal photo-shooting style!"

Kuroko gave her a dutiful nod. "Yes."

If there was one thing Riko loved more than anything else, it was going above and beyond for her weekly magazine. Seirin Snaps hadn't been a top seller since her father's time in the family business several, _several_ years ago, but from the way she went about running the tiny place, one would think Seirin was the end-all-be-all of magazines.

Which, sadly, couldn't be farther from the truth.

"There will be a lot of models there as well other than Mr. Kise," she continued, "so feel free to focus on them some too. However, the star of the shoot is undoubtedly him, so make sure you get good coverage of him especially."

"I will do my best," he replied, bowing his head.

"Make sure you're here by nine o' clock sharp tomorrow," she added, before smiling and giving him a firm nod. "Dismissed."

* * *

Kuroko's apartment was a strange paradox of tidy and unruly. His textbooks were neatly arranged on a shelf, but discarded photos lay strewn about on the floor around his work desk. He gingerly stepped through the polaroid sea to make his way to the small kitchen, where his dishes and plates were stacked away and as white as snow, but as he opened the fridge, the strange, dark concoctions entrapped within countless plastic containers sharply contrasted with the illusion of the perfect, homely kitchen.

"I'm hungry," he muttered to himself, grabbing a stored dish that looked like black tentacles. He couldn't quite remember _where_ he had nabbed the food; perhaps at one of the many parties he attended just long enough to scoop every little bit of food he could find for grabs into a plastic container. All that mattered at the moment was that it was more or less edible.

After adequately heating his mystery food, he settled on his work chair and turned to his laptop. Searching Kise Ryōta instantly brought up video upon video, and he clicked on a particularly popular interview. The model's face was ridiculously sunny, his smile ever-present as he spoke in that famously honeyed voice.

_"Mr. Ryōta - " _

_"Please. Call me Kise! Everyone should." _The words rolled easy off his tongue, like drops of sugar.

_"O-Okay, Kise, what drove you to become a model?"_

_"Oh, that's a good question. I - " _there was a falter, ever so slight, in the model's voice, that was imperceivable to the average watcher. _"I just got __the luck of the draw, I suppose! I wasn't really looking to be a model, but here I am all the same!"_

_"I see, I see...what advice do you have for those interested in your line of work?"_

_"You should be positive," _Kise replied easily_, "and look good. Even then, though, modelling is a cruel game of chance, based on the beauty the beholders swear by. It's a taxing job, though." _

"Interesting." Kuroko slurped up a tentacle as his eyes remained trained on Kise's every facial contortion. Each inflection was carefully documented away in his head, and every twitch of the lips or flutter of the lids did not go unnoticed. "Kise Ryōta. A Miracle model." He paused in eating to glance at his camera. "It must be tiring to always being in the light."

_"Kise, what beauty tips do you swear by?"_

_"Well, a model can never share all their secrets, but I guess I can spare you a few tips!" _Kise turned away from the interviewer, his eyelids low over his eyes as he gazed at the camera. His eyes were melting gold coins, and his smile was lazy, but something stirred under his easy expressions. It was almost a sense of hungry wildness as he spoke, and it felt truer than any other face the model had shown so far.

For the rest of the time Kuroko stayed up, Kise Ryōta was his textbook. And the more he watched, the more he understood the web of silky charisma that Kise had woven around him. People stared at him like he was a juicy piece of aromatic meat, worshipping his body and face with too-long looks and whispers of humbled adoration or unabashed lustfulness. He was visually flawless, perpetual positive and practically blameless.

This golden boy, a poster child of the modelling industry, was Kuroko's target.

He wondered to himself, as he shuffled off to bed when his head grew too heavy to prop up with his hands and his lids opened and closed of their own accord, if it was possible to visually compliment the sun.

* * *

_Uh._

_So there you have it. An AU I've had in the wings for a few months. I finally decided to finish up the first piece of it, and it was kind of an experiment for me? I'll hopefully continue it, just like I will HtB. Eventually._

_Thanks for reading._


	2. candid

Shot 01

_candid_

* * *

Kise Ryōta was blasé.

After all, his days were often filled to the brim with admirers, paparazzi and endless shoots that all seemed to follow the same old and dreadfully dull formulae. Smile. Pose. Flutter the lashes. Flirt a little here and there. Show off your body, like it was a free, all-you-can-eat buffet. Ignore the smarting of your self-esteem as a small voice in the back of your head shrilly reminded you that your looks were what made you worth anything.

And of course, today was not an exception.

"Kise, we're ready to go," Kasamatsu Yukio barked at him. Kise was admittedly fond of him (despite his acidic, thoughtless comments towards Kasamatsu) but the guy was always too grumpy and serious about _everything_. "Try being a bit serious for once."

"Relax, senior," Kise cooed in response, patting the shorter model's cheek. "I'm always serious about my shoots." It was a mocking placation, and Kasamatsu knew it.

Mere annoyance wasn't an accurate word to describe Kasamatsu's feelings towards Kise and his stupid smile and silver tongue. The model annoyed him out of his wits and at the same time sort of put him on edge. There was something sinister that lurked behind those million-dollar smiles, and whenever he glimpsed it he felt a little more understanding of why Kise insisted on being so uncomfortably cheery 99% of the time. And yet, despite Kise's goading and instigations preying on Kasamatsu's short temper, they got along in a strange, vindictively supporting way.

"If you weren't one of the Miracle Models," the senior snarled, smacking Kise's hand away, "I'd kick you in the face."

"Good thing I _am_ a miracle, then," was Kise's carefree reply as he left Kasamatsu behind. Although poking fun at the human manifestation of Grumpy Bear was a temporary alleviation for some of his boredom, provoking Kasamatsu couldn't stave his discontent forever.

After a few more minutes, he walked into the shooting area along with the rest of the Kaijou models, and plastered a dazzling grin onto his face to quiet the buzzing of the flashing insects. "I'm ready to start whenever you are," he asserted, and the photographers around him were spurred into noisy flight.

"Kise! Look over here!"

"Those locks are so radiant! How do you manage to always be so picture-perfect?"

"Can you wink for the camera? Over here - good, good!"

He smiled kindly on the outside, answering the questions he had heard a thousand times before, but inside he was sick to his stomach. This was boresome. He was the one of the models to be, and everyone knew it. People draped themselves over him with empty flatter that rang hollow behind those greedy gazes. And yet, he continued in the daily agony of it all because of his foolish adoration of the glitzy glamour life. _No_. It wasn't _adoration_ - but rather, it's close cousin _familiarity_. He was acquainted with it, comfortable with it. He had done this for so long that whenever he imagine doing something else, he couldn't properly fathom it.

His eyes had been put out by the light of the stars.

* * *

"Now, remember what I told you, Kuroko," Riko said, her voice earnest. They were sitting in the Seiren Snaps van, which was quite possibly the most dilapidated piece of junk that has ever been conceived, as she gave Kuroko a final, eager rundown. "The focus of this shoot is Kise, so he should be your main target while you're here. Not even professional photographers often get this sort of chance, so utilise it to the best of your ability. Don't skimp out on scoping out the other models, and if you can find out more about any of these guys, Kise _especially_ - " her face drew nearer, her eyes narrowed to infinitesimal slits, " - _please_, do so."

"...Yes," Kuroko replied, his voice just a tad tense. A fact-hunting Riko was a Riko not to be crossed.

"Then go!" she urged, coaxing him out of the car. "Get me a good photo scoop! And a personal scoop if you can manage it!"

Kuroko hopped out of the van and watched and waved as Riko pulled away. He was alone now. His camera dangled from around his neck, its weight a familiar comfort, as he walked closer to the shoot site. There were already a mess of photographers and journalists, many standing as close as possible to the star of the show.

Kise Ryōta.

He certainly _was_ something else. His golden locks were charmingly combed into a intentionally mused style that made him seem like he had just rolled out of bed, and that charismatic smile he was famous for was solidly in place. His top of choice was a loose and long white dress shirt that was barely buttoned, exposing a significant portion of his toned chest. The skinny jeans he wore hugged his legs like they were lifelines, and they were tucked into jet black boots with sinful heels. He looked as if he was made to model the clothes he wore, simplistic as they were.

"Hey, hey!" Kise greeted, his eyes practically twinkling, and Kuroko thought that he was a hundred times more exhaustingly vibrant in person. "Thanks for coming, everyone! I'm super flattered you're all so interested in this little Kaijou photo shoot. I'll do my best to please!"

This was a _little_ photo shoot? Kuroko already felt far too crowded, with relentless elbows jabbing coming from all sides and hisses of annoyance from fellow scoopers eager to draw closer to the model. He fumbled with his camera as someone shoved rather roughly past him, and he sighed with relief when his search for camera damage was in vain. "That was rude," he said quietly, his voice taut with annoyance. "We're not a pack of wild animals."

Put off, he averted his eyes from Kise to search for the other models. They were easy to spot, despite not being quite as eye-catching as the star of Kaijou; nevertheless were sharply dressed and easy on the eyes. One in particular, a man with a scowl and eyebrows that seemed permanently etched in a downward position, caught Kuroko's eye. With his interested perked, Kuroko drifted away from the crowd around Kise and towards the considerably less swarmed man.

"Eh?" The man seemed surprised when Kuroko came closer, one eyebrow arching into a perfect curve of incredulity. "Aren't you here for the Kise-centric shoot?"

"I found _you_ interesting, sir."

"Hm." Both of his eyebrows were arched now as his eyes assessed Kuroko with growing approval. "The name's Kasamatsu Yukio. And you?"

"Kuroko Tetsuya. It's a pleasure."

"You're a photographer, then," he said, nodding at the camera in Kuroko's hands. "What do you need?"

The slender man shrugged. "To talk."

"Talk," Kasamatsu repeated, sounding stumped, before he gave a roll if his sculpted shoulders. "...Okay. What about?"

"It doesn't matter," Kuroko said, before adding after a pause, "perhaps, about your day?"

Kasamatsu whistled through his teeth. "Mildly excruciating."

"Is there a particular reason for that?"

"Yep." He jerked his thumb in Kise's direction. "Golden boy over there."

Kuroko blinked, intrigued, although his face didn't show so. "Is that so?"

"He may be the star attraction, but he's a pain to work with. He doesn't really have to try to get attention; he just smiles and says pretty words and then everyone's on him."

"Are you saying he's arrogant?"

Kasamatsu bit his lip, thinking. "I wouldn't say he's arrogant as much as jaded. Annoyingly jaded. He's seen a lot, been through a lot, and it's made him more than a little cynical about people in general."

"What about you, Mr. Kasamatsu? Are you jaded?"

"All models are, eventually," came the sigh of a reply as he closed his eyes. He barely registered the nearly soundless clicks of a camera, and he opened his eyes to see Kuroko holding his close to his eyes. "You're taking pictures now?" he asked, incredulous, and Kuroko nodded.

"Canid shots are the most pleasant ones."

"Ha! There's an unpopular opinion if I've ever heard one," Katamatsu said with a snort. "But it isn't a bad one, by any means."

They chatted for a good while, exchanging pleasantries and chuckles in an easy fashion. Other photographers hovered around Kasamatsu, giving Kuroko the stink eye, and a few even snapped a few photos of the duo. _Kasamatsu_, Kuroko thought, is _a good person_. He had a sort of harrowed mien, as if he had lived too long and seen too much, but his words betrayed his inner kindness.

"Hey, Kasamatsu! You're not paid to flirt!"

A large man with a decidedly stern look on his plum face interrupted them, not sparring Kuroko a glance as he all but yelled in Kasamatsu's face. "See Kise over there? At least _attempt_ to look friendly! You're not here for life talks; save it for your downtime - "

"I'm not," was the model's harsh reply, his scowl settling back onto his face. He looked at Kuroko, his eyes steely. "I was doing my job."

Kuroko bowed his head to the portly fellow. "I'm sorry to have hogged your model, sir. I'll be going now. Take care, Mr. Kasamatsu."

"You too," he said, his voice a little less gruff. "See you, Mr. Kuroko."

As the photographer walked away, affronted, Kise's eyes followed him. Who _was_ this guy? To seek out the senior model before the shining star was practically unheard of. Everyone flocked to _him_; they sought _his_ dazzle and razzle. He didn't know why, but as he observed that photographer's blank, unimpressed gaze, he wanted - his approval? Preposterous. No - Kise wanted the photographer to at least glance at him, pepper him with old and worn questions, affirm that he was just like all the insects flashing their obnoxious lights in his eyes.

But he didn't.

* * *

"Who's that little photographer?" Kise asked Kasamatsu, his voice inanely condescending. "A new catch?" They had moved offset to take a break, and for some reason Kise couldn't keep his thoughts off the uninterested photographer. He was unassuming and unimpressed; two adjectives that people around Kise were never.

Kasamatsu turned to him, a blank and uninterested look on his face. "No," he said, without a trace of annoyance. "Never met him before today."

"Oh really?" Kise challenged. "You seemed pretty buddy-buddy to me."

"Are you so _vain_," Kasamatsu began, finally turning to face him with quirked brows, "that it's impossible for your little brain to process that there is _someone_ out there that isn't fawning over you as soon as you look at them?"

Kise was floored into speechlessness as Katamatsu shrugged. "That's your problem. In case you've forgotten in the wake of your fame, I am a Kaijou model as well."

"Whatever," Kise grumbled when Kasamatsu had long left, sullen. That photographer had glanced over him, like he didn't even care about who he was, for _Kasamatsu_ the _bear_? It was practically inconceivable. "I don't care."

He decided to venture outside (since Kasamatsu was evidently too much into mimicking that slip of a man, holding his little camera like it was his heart manifested, and the other models were too intimidated to strike up a conversation with him that consisted of more than nervously polite words) and get fresh air. He was left his thoughts, of lights and of fans and how utterly insufferably his life was and how it had shaped him to be equally intolerable. Kise was bored, he was furious, he was so sick of this routine of bejewelled _monotony_ -

"Mr. Kise."

The model's eyes scanned the area but he saw no one. "Did someone call me?" he asked aloud, and he felt the slightest presence behind him. With a jerk, he turned to find a shorter man behind him, and he bit down a surprised yelp. He blinked as they stared at each other, finally recognising the person. It was the photographer, with his dull, limpid eyes and that little camera slung comfortably around his neck.

"Good morning, Mr. Kise."

"Morning." Kise exhaled agitatedly, his sense of curiosity dissipating in favour of annoyance. He was just another mindless photographer, clinging to him while he attempted to swat off their bites. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm taking a quick break. I'll be back in a few minutes."

The man cocked his head to the side. "How are you taking a break?"

"How?" Kise repeated and grimaced. They were like a pair of parrots. "By stepping off the shoot. I'm not smiling, I'm not posing. Simple as that."

"Is it really that simple?" The man didn't even seem to _blink_, and it made Kise feel irrationally diminutive to be under the scrutiny of a never-ending stare. "You look better for it _now_ than before."

Kise stared at this dead-eyed man for what seemed like an eternity or two before beginning to laugh. It was a deep, belly-centric thing that was uncharacteristic of the flawless and ever-charismatic Kise Ryōta. And yet, it was a far more pleasant sound than his usual plastic chuckles.

"You're weird," Kise managed to say, cradling his stomach.

As caught his breath, he heard the tell-tale sound of a camera shutter. He looked up to see the man taking pictures of him casually, a sort-of-there smile on his lips. As if he had heard that line a thousand times. "I have been told."

Kise was caught off-guard. _Why are you taking pictures now?_ was what he wanted to ask, but the words caught in his throat like a wayward fly. Instead, he articulated the most extravagant sentence to ever pass from his lips.

"Uh."

The man flipped through his shots with a practised thumb, and his gaze was approving. Kise didn't know why, but seeing the satisfied creases around those eyes felt particularly..._relieving_. As the model opened his mouth to speak, the man nodded and made to leave. "Thank you for your time."

Kise's words were abruptly freed from the net they had been trapped in. "Wait! You're not, ah, staying for the shoot?"

The man blinked. "I was at the first one."

"Oh." Kise turned his eyes away, abashed. He hadn't felt so off his game in a long time. "Right. I remember...seeing you."

Kuroko merely stared at him for a long stretch before offhandedly commenting, "I like the real smile better, Mr. Kise."

For once in his life, Kise felt the slightest bit flustered. As the presence-less man walked away, the model could feel his curiosity rearing its ugly head, and he tried to bite it down. Showing interest in people who also often happened to be the propagators of heartless lies was rarely ever a good thing, after all. He pressed his lips together as he watched the man walk away, his mouth appearing thinner and thinner, before he finally called out.

"Um," he said, his tongue feeling strange in his mouth, "you should stay for the second shoot."

The man paused to give Kise an odd glance. "I am staying."

"That's good, ah - " he faltered before a hesitant smile wavered onto his face. "What's your name?"

There was a pause so long that Kise swore the earth had made a full rotation around the sun before the photographer finally opened his mouth again.

"Kuroko Tetsuya. Please to make your acquaintance, Mr. Kise."

"Just Kise's fine," he said automatically, with a nervous laugh, and he looked away from Kuroko to gaze over at the waiting set. "I have to go back to work in a minute or so. See you?"

That last sentence almost sounded like a hopeful question, and Kise resisted wincing as it came out of his mouth. Kuroko, however, simply bowed slightly at the waist.

"See you."

As the photographer trudged off, Kise noted how slight his frame was and how so incredibly unassuming his whole aura felt. He was so boring, at a glance. So easy to look over. Kuroko - _Kuroko_, he repeated in his head, mentally tasting the feel of the name on his tongue - felt like the type of lame, unspectacular person that shouldn't perk his interest.

And yet, all the same, he had.

* * *

"How'd the photo shoot go?" Kagami asked as Kuroko climbed into the Seirin Snaps van, given his co-worker a one-over as he starts up the rickety ride. "Hope you enjoyed your exclusive hour near on of the most famous models in the country."

"Why are you picking me up?"

"Aida's busy. Thanks for your ceaseless gratitude." Kagami glanced over at Kuroko as they pulled away from the shoot location, his eyes expectant. "Did you get good pictures?"

"Yes, Mr. Taiga - " at this, Kagami stiffened and let out a sound akin to a cat's warning growl - "I certainly did."

There was a short silence before the driving man kissed his teeth loudly. "Are you seriously not gonna even elaborate?" he asked indignantly, and Kuroko shrugged.

"I talked to Mr. Kise."

Kagami jolted, the van shaking violently as his grip on the wheel momentarily slackened. "Are you serious? The sunny boy of the Miracle Models?"

Kuroko finally looked away from the window to let he and Kagami make eye-contact. "I doubt he's as bubbly as we perceive him to be."

"Eh? How do _you_ know that?"

The photographer smiled so slightly that Kagami almost missed it. "Because I saw his real smile."

* * *

_In all honesty, I both like and dislike this chapter. This isn't a quick fic, so development obviously has to take place, but ensuring that it happens can be a painstaking, unsure process. I miss having a Beta; it's always nice to have that second, critical PoV to reference and to point out your awful attacks on grammar._

_Thanks for reading._


	3. exposure

Shot 02

_exposure _

* * *

"Kuroko, I could kiss you on the mouth."

"Please refrain from doing so."

"Those candids of Kise you gave me two days ago went into this week's issue." She leaned over her desk, her eyes wide with childish glee. "And our magazine sales? They've gone up by _astronomical_ levels. We had ten times as many sales as usual this week! Ten _times_!"

Riko gleefully spun around in her work chair as she giggled relentlessly, and Kuroko bowed dubiously, unnerved. "That is good to hear. However, I am quite sure it was not just my photos that brought Seirin Snaps this well-deserved attention - "

"That's nonsense!" she said, cutting his refutal of her praise short. "Isn't that right, Mr. Hyuuga?"

The man in question peeked into Riko's office _immediately_, nodding as if his life depended on it. Considering the fact that this was Riko, it probably did. "Of course, boss. Utter nonsense."

"See?" She stretched her arms, yawning before folding her hands under her chin. She dismissed Hyuuga with a neat tilt of her head. "Even Kagamoron's getting more exposure to readers as a result, and he's pretty grateful to you for it."

"Don't speak for me," Kagami grumbled as he entered the room, before hastily tacking on, "boss." Despite his waspish comment, his ears were an abashed red and he made no attempt to refute what she had stated. "Yo."

"Mr. Kagami," Kuroko greeted him simply, and Kagami in turn placatingly pet the photographer on the head. "Stop that. I don't like it."

"Not before you drop the politeness _bull crap_ with me! Ya think I _like_ that?!"

Kuroko blinked. "You always become so riled when I call you formally. Like a flustered schoolboy."

Kagami flushed scarlet, looking like an irate volcano set to erupt. "What - "

"Hey!" Riko's annoyed voice interrupted their banter. "Settle down, Kagamoron."

"Why am _I_ the only one getting called out?!"

"Now," Riki said with a simper, her face at that moment all too similar to that of a plotting fox's, "I have a request for you two."

Kuroko flinched before asking with obvious trepidation, "What kind of request, Miss Riko?"

She leaned forward, dangling the rusty van key in front of them. "You'll see soon enough."

* * *

Twenty minutes and a death-defying van ride later, the three of them stood in front of a fancy bar that reeked of the upperclass. Kagami looked rather uncomfortable as he took in the elegant building, his jaw tight and his legs restless. Kuroko, as usual, was completely and utterly impassive.

"You want us to go drinkin' with you." Kamagi's voice was a pure deadpan. "_Here_, of all places?"

"As a reward for your work, Kuroko, and your willingness, Kagamoron, to be Seirin Snaps's only model," Riko proclaimed, "any purchase of any sort here tonight is on me."

Kuroko bowed his head. "I am honoured. Although, I must admit, I have a rather low threshold for alcohol."

"Figures." Kagami grinned at Kuroko wolfishly. "You couldn't handle a shot of raspberry schnapps."

"That's because," Kuroko said, his face a mask of innocence, "I'm not the closet alcoholic."

Kagami faltered, looking cowed. "Alcoholic is a really strong word," he protested weakly, his cheeks ruddy. "I like my drinks a little heavy, s'all."

"Right," Riko laughed, and Kagami bristled. "That's exactly what a closet addict _would_ say."

"Hey, Riko. Y'know how this must look to anyone lookin'. Two poor, hapless college kids being coerced into drinking with a sugar momma - "

Without hesitation, Riko grabbed hold of Kagami's broad shoulders and kneed him _hard_ in his stomach. He wheezed out shakily, the surprise assault smacking the air right out of him, and Riko smiled pleasantly as he doubled over in agony.

"Pardon?" she inquired sweetly, as if she had never heard his jibe.

"N-Nothin'," he breathed out slowly, as if he was afraid the air in his lungs would leave him again and never come back. "I was just saying that you're as sweet _as_ sugar for taking us out for drinks, s'all."

"You're too much," Riko cooed, patting his shoulder lightly, but Kagami flinched all the same. "Such a wild young man. But you sure can be _saccharine_ when you need to be."

After a struggling Kuroko somehow dragged Kagami in after a more or less flouncing Riko, she led them right to some red barstools. "Hop up, boys."

"What's this place called, anyway?" Kagami asked gruffly, regaining his bravado as he sat down.

"It's the Interhigh Joint," she replied. "I like coming here when I feel a little down, or - " she glanced at both of them meaningfully, " - when I'm feeling pretty victorious."

"It's quite classy," Kuroko commented, his eyes roving about like they were detached from their sockets. They took in the soft-as-sin red carpet and immaculate black walls, not seeming to miss the slightest detail. "It must be an expensive place."

"Moderately."

"How the hell can _you_ afford it?" Kagami asked bluntly, snapping his gum. Evidently, the intimidating emanation of the uptown bar had worn off of him. "It's not like you make much of a fortune off the company."

Instead of growing irate with him, Riko only winked coquettishly. "I have people who owe me favours in many a place."

Kuroko and Kagami exchanged wide glances, the latter of the two mumbling under his breath. "What poor schmucks got stuck owning _her_ favours?"

"Here's one," she continued, cheerily gesturing to the approaching bartender. "Boys, I'd like you to meet Mr. Kiyoshi Teppei."

"Evening, Aika. That's an awful lot of formality," the bartender admonished her cheerfully. He was taller and more slender than Kagami, with shoulders broad enough to make the eternally burdened Atlas jealous. Despite his imposing stature, his mien was easy and gentle and his face was worn but handsome in its affability. Kiyoshi looked the photographer and model over with a curious expression. "Who are these two?"

"My newest recruits," she said with dignity, waving her hand about. "This one's the model, Kagami Taiga," Riko thumped his head for emphasis, "and he's especially mouthy."

"Hey!" Kagami snapped, an acidic retort no doubt on the tip of his tongue, before he caught Kiyoshi's eye and swallowed it whole. "I mean, uh, it's good to meet you. Sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kiyoshi said, all smiles. "I hope you'll treat Riko well. She used to be _my_ manager, after all."

"Is that so?" Kuroko said, clearly startling the bartender, and Kiyoshi craned his neck to look down at the slight man.

"Oh! Hello, err - "

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Ah! So _you're_ the photographer Riko's been gushing about?"

He was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful as he watched Kiyoshi's face, before he spoke again. "I suppose I must be."

Kiyoshi smiled, his gaze flickering between Kuroko and Kagami. "You're in good hands with Riko," he commented as he poured Riko a glass of bubbly. "She's a determinator."

"Please," she protested, but she accepted her regular drink with rosy cheeks. "You were just an exceptional model."

"You worked for Seirin Snaps, huh?" Kagami asked, his eyes flicking between Riko and Kiyoshi at a rapid pace. His manager was acting _far_ too bashful for his liking.

"Oh yes. I had a lot of fun working there. I have to smile whenever I think about my time spent in that cozy little building." He gave a nostalgia-laden sigh of contentment. "Those were good times."

"By "cozy" and "little", I'm assuming that means "cramped" and "minuscule." Kagami quipped, oblivious to Riko's eyes of death trained on his unsuspecting form.

Kiyoshi laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling charmingly. "What can I get you two?" he asked, smartly ending _that_ particular train of conversation before Riko harvested Kagami's incognisant spirit prematurely.

"Something weak," Kuroko requested at the same time Kagami boomed, "something strong!" Instantly, their mouths snapped shut and they looked at each other in a sullen sort of way.

"Don't mock me."

"That's _my_ line!"

"How does brandy sound, Mr. Kagami?" Kiyoshi smoothly interjected. "And Mr. Kuroko, I'll get you some sparking water if you aren't keen on alcohol."

"That would be wonderful - "

Kuroko's voice paused as his brows lifted, his line of sight fixing on something for a few moments before quickly flicking away, and Kagami shot him a quizzical look.

"What's the matter with ya?" he asked, following Kuroko's gaze. "What were ya looking at - oh."

"Are you alright guys?" Riko turned from Kiyoshi to look at their frozen faces, and she followed their line of sight to behold Kise Ryōta in all of his glory. "Oh!"

The Kaijou model was dressed casually, sporting a fitted black top, hole-ridden blue jeans and feet clad in black flip-flops. Besides his ever-present alluring aura, he looked utterly normal, siping a glass of gin with a neutral expression. He wasn't alone, either. A lanky, spectacled man with hair dyed green sat with him, his gaze sharp and judgemental. He was more discernibly dressed than Kise, with dress shoes instead of flip-flops and a black and white suit instead of knockabout wear.

Riko's eyes widened (to the point where Kagami and Kiyoshi feared they'd pop right out of their sockets) before she hissed under her breath.

"Kuroko, Kise is _looking_ at you."

The photographer didn't reply and instead fiddled idly with his straw.

"Kuroko, I think he _recognises_ you!"

With a quiet sigh, Kuroko stole a glance over his shoulder only to indeed meet the model's eyes. He looked away as soon as he had made eye contact. "That is doubtful. Most people don't remember meeting me if they have only done so once."

"And is that _Midorima_ _Shintarō_ next to him?!" she squealed, her voice almost breaking as she did so. "The sharp-dressing glasses model of Shūtoku with the highbrow attitude?"

Kagami snorted disparagingly. "They're not so big a deal up close."

Riko turned to wag a stern finger in his face. "They're a far bigger deal than _you_, and until you surpass them, you have no _room_ to turn your nose up at them!"

"Are you callin' me a bad model compared to - "

"Let's not," Kuroko interrupted a little loudly, "make a fuss. They're probably here to relax from work - as are we."

After the initial silent surprise at Kuroko's unexpected interruption of the double Miracle excitement, the group simmered down, clinking drinks as if they hadn't glimpsed two blinding supernovas sitting behind them.

* * *

"Midorimacchi," Kise whined as Kuroko turned to talk to his red-headed companion. "Why isn't he saying anything? Didn't he recognise me?"

"I'm sure that he did," Midorima replied, not sparing Kise a glance, "and that is precisely the reason he is ignoring you."

"That's harsh!" Kise lamented, his voice breaking, before his voice took on a more serious tone. "He really isn't interested in me at all."

"Are you that incapable of seeing that your insufferable personality could be extremely stifling to the odd person?" Midorima asked, taking a small sip from his virgin float. "Because I certainly can empathise with that odd person."

"You're supposed to be _comforting_ me today, Midorimacchi!"

"Forgive me for not feeling up to comforting an overgrown brat, who happens to be the same perpetrator that pulled me from my ongoing shoot to drink irresponsibly with him."

Kise buried his face in his hands, his ears a nice pink. "You're the sourest company I've ever had," he complained, his voice muffled through his slender fingers.

"And you are certainly the most annoying company I've had, besides Takao of course, in a good while." Midorima raised an unaffected brow. "May I go now?"

"No."

With a deep sigh, Midorima pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you're that wounded at the prospect of he and you not exchanging words, simply go and speak to him yourself."

Kise peeked at him from in between his finger gaps. "You think I should?"

"I frankly don't care either way, so long as I can leave - "

"Don't be silly!" Kise said, slamming his hands down on the table. "I'll introduce you to him!"

"Introduce - " was all the glasses model managed to sputter out before Kise was yanking him along like a rag doll. "Kise, don't be preposterous! I have far more productive things to be doing than being introduced to your so-called talented acquaintances - "

Kise paid no mind to Midorima's agitation as he secured the vacant seat right next to Kuroko, strangely excited. He didn't understand why he felt so intrigued when he thought of speaking to the photographer again, but he wasn't one to question his fickle feelings.

"Hi!"

Kuroko didn't think anything of the hearty greeting, didn't even pause to think of the possibility of it being _aimed_ at him, until a smooth finger lightly tapped the back of his resting left hand. "You're Kuroko, right?"

He looked up to see Kise sitting to the left of him, his gaze oddly demure. "Do - do you remember me?" the model asked, his voice a little hesitant.

"...Yes," Kuroko replied after a pregnant pause, his brows arched with disbelief. "You recognised me?"

"Of course!" Kise answered far too quickly. He seemed to realise this, and waited a moment before adding in a more subdued tone, "how would I forget our meeting so soon?"

"Most people would have."

"Huh?" Kise blinked, but shrugged off the wayward comment after a second or so. "Well, I'm glad - I mean, it's really good to see you again!"

"Hey," Kagami said, glaring daggers at the blond. He had shifted closer to the photographer on instinct, his body language reeking of hostility as he gave Kise a one-over. "Kuroko ain't the only one here, y'know."

"I saw your photos of me," Kise continued, completely ignoring Kagami (to the latter's chagrin). "In the Seirin Snaps magazine? They...they were really nice!"

"Thank you," Kuroko said, inclining his head. "That is a wonderful compliment to hear from the muse."

Kise flushed, fidgeting, before looking into his lap. "I - "

"Look," Midorima interrupted, his face pinched up with obvious irritation. "As much as this little reunion warms my chest cavity - " he glanced at his cellphone screen fraught with urgent messages " - I have _professional_ obligations to fufill. If you would excuse me." Deaf to Kise's protests and blind to Riko's shameless gawking, he stood up and made to leave.

"Mr. Midorima." Kuroko's voice was quiet, but the glasses model turned to face him all the same. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Midorima watched Kuroko in a distinctly calculating way, titling his head to the left, then the right. "For the sake of Kise's hide," he finally said as he crossed his arms, "I pray you will indeed be a worthy adversary."

"Adversary?" Kagami repeated as the model walked away. "The hell?"

"Um, please excuse Midorimacchi," Kise said apologetically. "He's a little socially impaired at times."

"What is he, a nutty old fart?" Kagami asked tactlessly, and was rewarded with a direct blow to his rib cage from Kuroko's bony elbow. "Ow!"

"He's not nutty!" Kise said, indignant. "Midorimacchi's just a little different. Anyway, from the looks of it, he seems to think Kurokocchi's a person of worth."

"What's with that 'chi' thing?" Kagami asked, and Kise blinked as if he had just noticed him.

"'Chi?' What's 'chi'?" the blind replied, confused.

"I'm askin' _you_!"

"Mr. Kise," Riko cut into the conversation seamlessly, half of her body practically in Kagami's lap as she leaned towards Kise. "I see you're interested in my photographer."

"Yes!" His reply was instant, his voice genuinely warm. "He's amazing."

"I'm glad he impressed you so much," Riko said. "He was also pleased at being able to take photos of you."

"Really?" Kise stole a glance at Kuroko, who was taking a dainty sip of his beverage. "Well, in that case, he's free to come to Kaijou shoots whenever he wants! My treat."

Riko almost choked on her drink before sputter out, "he is?"

Kise looked at her quizzically. "Of course."

"Kise," Kuroko said suddenly, and Kise pivoted to face him so fast that it was a miracle he didn't experience some sort of whiplash. "What was Mr. Midorima talking about concerning me being a worthy enemy?"

"Oh," the blond said, and he sounded embarrassed. "That's my fault."

"Your fault?"

"I may have bragged about you to him and Aominecchi a bit," he muttered, dragooned by Kuroko's expectant stare. "They're both skeptical of photographers, but they seemed sort of impressed by your shots of me!"

"Sort of?" Kagami stepped in, hackles raised. "They doubtin" Kuroko's skill when they haven't even _seen_ a fraction of what he can do?"

Kise gave Kagami a glacial glance, devoid of any of the puppy-like hesitancy he displayed when talking to Kuroko. "That's a pretty little defence, considering it came from a nobody. " He considered Kagami with evident distaste. "Are you some sort of model wannabe?"

"I'm no _wannabe_," Kagami snapped. "I'm a model, _period_."

"What's your name?" Kise asked, his voice a honeyed drawl. Both Kuroko and Kagami knew better than to trust it.

"Kagami Taiga."

"Never heard of you," the blond model replied with a lazy shrug. "I suggest you at least become something before you try talking in a way that's too big for your baby britches."

Kagami gritted his teeth, his stance dangerously aggressive, but Kuroko placed a pale hand on his tensed shoulder. "We plan to." His gaze was almost alight in the dim lighting of the bar, staring at Kise with an obvious challenge in his eyes as he titled his head. "We'll see you at the top soon enough, Mr. Kise."

After a tense, breathless moment, the blond model laughed. "I like you, Kurokocchi," he said definitively, his cheeks flushed with sudden excitement as he hopped down from his seat. "You're interesting."

As he turned to walk away, he added as if it was an afterthought, "I'll be waiting, then. Don't disappoint me!"

"We don't plan to," Kuroko replied, turning back to sip his drink, and Kagami gave him a beholden sidelong stare.

"Did you two," Riko said lowly, startling both of them, "just challenge Kise Ryōta, and by extension, his other associates that dominate the modelling industry in this country." It wasn't so much a question as it was a gelid proclamation, and Kagami's Adam's apple bobbed nervously as Kuroko averted his eyes away from her.

"A-And if we did?" Kagami dared, biting his lip apprehensively after the question had passed through his lips.

Riko regarded them with a solemn expression before her face split into a tigerish grin. "You wouldn't be worthy of management if you hadn't."

* * *

_I hope this chapter was somewhat worth the wait. Reading your reviews really motivates me to improve and make your reading experience more enjoyable in the future, so thank you to everyone who took the time to write one. I enjoyed writing this chapter, personally, and I hope that's apparent._

_Thanks for reading._


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